News Release

Remarkable black and white pre-war 1970s photographs of Afghanistan by Joseph N. Hoyt will be on display in the Skylight Galley of the San Francisco Main Library October 11, 2008 – January 18, 2009. The photos depict people of all ages, landscapes and ancient ruins in a poor but culturally and historically rich nation before the start of conflict and turmoil.

“The photographs in this collection reveal an Afghanistan very different from the one we hear about today. What we see in these images is not just an Afghanistan at peace, but a people and a country at peace within itself –a remarkable country and its resilient people going about their daily routines,” said Hoyt.

Nomadic tribes, stunning landscapes, Bamian ruins, textile markets and architecture are reflected in the photographs. Hoyt notes, “They portray the lives of a rugged and courageous people; their handsome faces and laughing children living as they have for centuries.”

The Afghani poet Rumi once said, “Only from your heart can you touch the sky.” In one photograph children are seen flying kites from a rooftop, a carefree activity recalling a more innocent time, since banned by the Taliban regime.

Hoyt spent a total of three years exploring Afghanistan, capturing the people, landscape, and culture at peace, with bustling markets, a thriving economy and a welcoming people. The photographs represent the provinces of Badakhshan, Bamian, Farah, Ghazni, Helmand, Kabul, Kandahar, Kunduz, Nangargar, Nimruz, Parvan and Takhar.

A catalogue by Joseph N. Hoyt entitled Afghanistan 1970-1975: Images From An Era of Peace complements the exhibition and will be available in the Friends of the Library bookstore, Bookbay Main, for purchase. The catalogue features 50 duotone black-and-white photographs accompanied by text that reveals the visual and artistic depth of the images.

For more information about Afghanistan 1970-1975 Images From An Era of Peace, please call (415) 557-4277.

NOTE TO EDITOR: A variety of photos are available upon request as well as interviews with the curator and photographer of the exhibition. Please contact Marcia Schneider, (415) 557-4252.

About the Artist

Joseph Hoyt has had an abiding interest in Afghanistan and the tragedies that have befallen the Afghan people since the Russian invasion and ensuing civil war. This interest has resulted in the resurrection of long stored photographs taken in the early 1970s. His photographs were originally exhibited at the Miami Dade County Public Library in 2005. Joe has been a resident of south Florida for over 40 years.

Related Public Programs

One City One Book: West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan American Story
For a complete schedule of October events, please visit: http://sfpl.org/news/ocob/onecity.htm

Wednesday October 15, 2008
Rebuilding Afghanistan Through Artistic and Literary Endeavors
Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 6:30 -7:30, p.m.
Author Tamim Ansary will moderate this panel discussion with special guests Mo Qayoumi, president of California State University: East Bay; UC Berkeley professor Wali Ahmadi; photographer Joseph N. Hoyt; and Humaira Ghilzai, president of Afghan Friends Network.

Sunday November 16, 2008
The Role of Women in Afghanistan
Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Joseph N. Hoyt will moderate this panel discussion with special guests that notably include Fariba Nawa, award-winning Afghan-American journalist and Nima Sadati who has created and managed refugee programs for women in Afghanistan and entrepreneurial programs for Afghani women in the East Bay.

Thursdays at Noon movies series in October
Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

October 9 – Osama (2003, 83 min.) Chronicles the true story of a young girl in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan who must disguise herself as a boy to save her family from starvation. In Pashto with English subtitles.
October 16 – Charlie Wilson’s War (2007, 102 min) A drama based on Texas congressman Charlie Wilson’s covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
October 23 – The Kite Runner (2007, 128 min.) A powerful adaptation of Fremont author Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel of life before and during the reign of the Taliban. In multiple languages with English subtitles.
October 30 – The Beauty Academy of Kabul (2006, 74 min.) A quirky group of Western hairstylists armed with blow dryers and designer scissors open a school in post-Taliban Kabul to teach eager Afghan women the art of fixing hair. The six teachers were all volunteers; three had fled Afghanistan over 20 years ago.